Help with DIY rock wall?

[SweetnSpicy]

Hi there, I am sorta a newbie to geckos, and I would love to have a rock wall for my gecko. Right now, all I know is that I need quite a bit of help with this, my area of expertise is Betta Fish and horses lol.

Right now, Gecko(creative name, right?) is in a 20 gallon long, but I plan on upgrading him to a larger maybe 40 gallon - 50 gallon once I can get some money, just to give y'all an idea of what I will be putting where.

Now for the questions.

Do I need to seal it once I am finished? With what?
What do you do after you carve out everything? Grout it?
Are these all of the the things I need?

-Paint brushes
-Grout (any certain type?)
-"Great Stuff" foam
-Pannel foam/styrofoam (which is better?)
-cutting tools
-Paints (what brands/ect?)

I would love my tank to hopefully look similar to this:
http://http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/naturalistic-vivarium/37038-leopard-gecko-rock-terrarium-many-pictures.html

Thanks so much!​

 

[jermh1]

do a google search
exo terra 3d background
its a start
other wise Id say email the person in the other forum to find out what they used, I think if you search around in here you can find some videos that are posted to youtube.

 

[Tony C]

I linked to a series of rock wall threads here.

 

[Noahboa1]

Do I need to seal it once I am finished? With what? - Yes, If the background is not going to get wet or moist often you can use Mod-Podge which can be found at most craft or building supply stores.
What do you do after you carve out everything? Grout it? - Often after I carve out my hides I grout them with a sanded grout. You must grout in layers. I start with a watery mix and to fill in the cracks then do another 4 layers in thickening consistency and finally a sixth layer that has a clay consistency to make the finishing touches

-Paint brushes - i use paintbrushes for the first couple of layers and then use gloved hands because I find it easier.
-Grout (any certain type?) - It' honestly doesn't matter but I prefer to use a sanded grout because it gives a more natural feel and look.
-"Great Stuff" foam - I don't use "Great Stuff" I just use polystyrene ("Styrofoam") 4 foot x 6 foot boards.
-Pannel foam/styrofoam (which is better?) - ^ Hard Craft foam found at craft/hobbie stores work best but I have used styrofoam alot.
-cutting tools - I use an Exacto-Knife for smaller pieces and a regular kitchen knife for larger projects
-Paints (what brands/ect?) - The paint's don't really matter as long as they are non-toxic, although acrylic paints work better.
-Are these all of the the things I need? - You will also need a type of adhesive for the styro boards. I have used liquid nails (made for polystyrene, the other kinds dissolve the styrofoam.), Tile Fixture Caulk, and hot glue. All of those materials have worked great for me in all of my projects.
I'll post some pictures of mine in a bit. Hope this helps, Noah.

 

[Noahboa1]

Ignore any background clutter. I forgot to mention above that you can sprinkle the hide/wall with sand while the sealant is drying like this one was. This hide also has a flat back so it can be placed seamlessly against the glass of the terrarium. So as promised, the pictures!

 

[Inferno33]

Those look great. I'll post pictures when I'm done mine.

 

[SweetnSpicy]

Wow! It they amazing! Thanks so much for the help! I finally have a little cash in my pocket, so I am going to go to lowes tomorrow and pick up some stuff. I don't really know how well I can fit styrofoam into my tank, my dad and I sort of "customized" a 50 gallon that was a saltwater tank(cleaned with 10% bleach) that had a built in filter, with all of the compartments and such. We had to use a Jigsaw and a Sawzall to cut it, and since I am making a background, he didn't cut it that evenly...